Social Circus

What is Social Circus?

American Circus Educators Association has adapted Cirque du Soleil’s definition of Social Circus: It is a social change intervention that uses the circus arts as a tool for fostering personal and social development of identified “at-risk” individuals. Primarily, the goal of social circus is to nurture participant’s self-esteem and trust in others.

Secondly, social circus goals are focused on the personal, social and emotional development of the participants. For example, “at-risk” youth can mean survivors of trauma, indigenous peoples, refugees, people with disabilities, homeless, low-income, incarcerated individuals, etc.).

In addition, funding from individual outside sources enables participation by a significant proportion of an at-risk population who otherwise could not afford to attend these programs.

Amazing Grace CIRCUS!’s social circus goal is to be everyone’s ‘community circus with a social purpose’. For 15 years, we have trained, performed for and served over 75,000 children and teens to fulfill our mission.

Our participants come from all walks of ‘at-risk’ life. Examples of programs we have created out of community need over the past 15 years:

The Sensory Circus: created for children on the autism spectrum. Partner Organization: Autism Speaks and Board of Cooperative Education.

Circus for Life: Gang-prevention program held during lunchtime; participants identified by guidance counselors. Partner Organizations: Nyack Middle School, Episcopal Charities of NY, and Grace Church Nyack.

CircusGYM: In-school circus arts skills are taught during 3rd grade PE class; school selection based on 70%+ students receiving free/reduced-rate lunch. Partner Organizations: West Haverstraw Elementary School, The Arts Council of Rockland and NY State Council on the Arts.